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What's happening in the cold?

We asked YDR Facebook readers to share their ideas for staying safe in the cold. This one came from Kelly Helsel. (Submitted)

People around York County are finding ways to cope in the cold Tuesday, as temperatures hover near zero, and wind chills go as low as minus 25 degrees. The wind child advisory continues.

Here are some examples from a chilly January day:

Water main breaks

York Water Company reports it is dealing with several water main breaks because of the cold.

"There is really nothing we can do to prevent water main breaks, but we believe our replacement of (42,000) feet of older water main each year greatly reduces the number of breaks we could have," Jeff Hines, president and CEO, wrote in an email.

He advises people to know where their main water shut-off valve is located, in case of an emergency.

He also says to protect pipes located in unheated areas, with insulation or heat tape.

School's out

Don Dimoff, marketing and communications manager for the Red Lion Area School District, said the main concern that drove them to close school was kids waiting at bus stops in the extreme cold. If any buses happened to run late, the students would be out in the cold longer. The district does have some students who walk, too, he said.

Jean Parks, spokeswoman for the York County School of Technology, said that was part of the reason for closing there, too. There are many buses in the southern part of the county traveling a long distance. Students aren't picked up at their homes, but at more central or regional locations, she said.

But there was also some concern about whether buses would start. Some bus runs for York Tech begin at 5:45 a.m., she said.

Students are generally advised to be at their bus stops 10 minutes before pickup time, and to wait 20 minutes if the bus is late.

"That's a half an hour window of kids waiting in the dark, in subzero weather," Parks said.

Layer up!

Two JMT surveyors, Dave Porter and Jim Morrison, were surveying the intersection of Rathon Road and Queen Street for PennDOT work.

The men were bundled in layers of clothing. When it got too cold, they said, they would warm up in the truck for a few minutes.

Shelter help

Dwight Rohrbaugh, men's director at the York Rescue Mission, said their chapel area is open all day for those they serve to come in and warm up.

Some who stay overnight go out during the day but are being allowed to return if they need to, he said.

Fire safety

East Prospect Fire Chief Jerry Mack was among the responders to a house fire in Lower Windsor Township this morning.

They rotated crews in and out to help prevent injury.

The fire was knocked down quickly, but ice made things dangerous.

Whenever someone wasn't needed, they stayed in their trucks, he said.

Conserve on campus

York College is encouraging those on campus to conserve electricity today, at the request of its power company to help reduce power consumption on the PJM grid and prevent brownouts, according to officials.

Ken Martin, dean of campus operations, said most of the campus heat is natural gas, but one residence hall, for example, has electrical heat. So that has been cut back and is being monitored in terms of electrical usage and controlling temperature.

"Fortunately, students are still on break," he said, so most residence halls are unoccupied.

An alert was sent out to the campus, he said, and folks are being advised to shut off any electrical appliances that are not being used and turn off lights in any offices or unoccupied spaces. Martin said he noticed some staff members whose offices have external windows working without lights or with just a desk lamp. Lighting has been reduced in public spaces, too.

"Obviously we don't turn it off," Martin said. "Even though we want to voluntarily comply with the suggestion, our primary goal is to make sure our community is safe."

The college stands to receive some monetary bonus for reducing consumption, he said, but the big drive is to help prevent brownouts.

Campus buildings are undergoing routine checks to make sure no pipes have frozen and that mechanical systems are working as they should, he said.

Martin said the college is also encouraging those who go outside to wear gloves, hats and warm clothing. Grounds and maintenance crews have been encouraged not to be outside for extended periods and to stay hydrated, he said.

Red Lion school buildings

In Red Lion, Jeffrey Bryan, director of buildings and grounds, said the district has been keeping buildings in "occupied mode" during the outbreak of cold.

Typically the buildings can handle cold weather, he said, but with the wind, there is concern about heating coils freezing.

Red Lion, which works with the same electrical company as York College, is also conserving electricity to help reduce the load on the power grid, Bryan said. While the district hasn't reduced heating, lighting has been reduced. Like the college, the district will receive some compensation, maybe $500 or $600, for doing that.

A few rooftop units with gas burners had to be reset, but so far "we've fared out well," he said.

He went to 'Market school'

The Susquehanna Waldorf School closed Tuesday because of the cold, but third-grader Gabriel Hildreth still went to school.

"Market school," his mom, Rochelle Hildreth said. She works at Penderbrooks in Central Market, and when school is closed for Gabriel, he tags along with his mother to help at the stand.

Hildreth said Gabriel helps customers with their purchases, and learns about handling money.

Hildreth said when she was growing up, frigid temperatures weren't reason enough to close school. But she agreed with the decision made by many schools on Tuesday.

"There are so many children who are not dressed appropriately," she said. "So I think it was wise" to close schools Tuesday.

Hot drinks only

Phyllis DeStephano sipped an iced coffee behind the counter of Take Five Expresso Bar Tuesday morning.

It's the only iced beverage DeStephano, who owns the business in Central Market, had made.

"I didn't sell any iced ones today," she said.

Everyone wanted something hot to warm them up, she said.

"If they normally get the small, they're getting the big (drink) sizes," she said. "And they're cradling it in their hands."

Bundled for the cold

James Carsey was bundled in a hat, jacket and gloves, but his legs were bare as he assembled weightlifting equipment outside of the YMCA in York.

Carsey, the head strength coach with the Institute of Athletic Development and Training Leaders through Athletics, or IAD-TLA, said the group operates in Hanover but is expanding into the YMCA in York.

Carsey, his breath visible in the frosty air, said he made sure to cover his torso, hands and head, but the cold didn't bother his legs.

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